Steam engine



STEAM ENGINE Filed Dec. 18. 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A By "M .1 I l I V.

' ATTORNEY July 24, 1928. 1,678,309

` E. w. swARrwouT STEAM ENGINE Filed Dep. 18. 1918 3 Sheets-SheevI 2 l TTRNEY um 5W INVENTOR July` 24, 1928.

E. W. SWARTWOUT STEAM ENGINE 1918 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 -Filed Dec. 18.

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M llVVE/VTH AT ORA/EY Patented July` 24, `1928.

k:avnmim'r w.' SWARTWQUT, or w'HrnrLAms, NEW Yonx;

STEAM ENGIN E.

Application filed December 18, `1918. Serial No. 267,228.

This invention relates to steam engines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of a steam engine wherein the highV temperature parts are protected from radiation to the atmosphere and thereby to reduce the heat losses. In one form ofthe invention, say, as applied to a. uniiiovv type of engine, the inlet of the steam to the cylinder of the engine is arranged intermediate the ends .of the cylinder and suitable exhaust portsjd1s-- posed adjacent the ends of the cylinder, preferably Without the provision of any head or lother closure at theends of the r cylinder. j j

,. Pursuant to a preferred form or my 1n-v vention, the engine comprises a plurality of cylinders, Vcommon means for leading the steam to substantially a central portion of each cylinder, a pair of pistons of the trunk type dis-posed in each cylinder, exhaust ports provided adjacent the opposite ends of eachL cylinder which are respectively covered and uncovered by the pistons of such cylinder for 'the regulation ofthe exhaust steam from such cylinder, a pair of shafts respectively driven by the pistons of such plurality' of cylinders and means for synchronizing the rotation of such driven shafts;

Further features and objects of theV invention will be more fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in whichv l Y Fig. l is a top plan diagrammaticfvieiv of a two-cylinder uniiiew engine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section and partial plan diagrammatic'View Vof a two cylinder unilloW` engine, showing a. modification of my invention as applied to a` vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section and partialV plan diagrammatic vien7 of a fourcylinder uniiiovv engine, showing a further modilication;

K Fig. 4 is a horizontal section-.fandpartial plan view yof a system of `four Acylinders havi'ng'a further modification gk v Fig. 5 is a horizontal section and Apartial plan view ofa system of four cylinders pro-A vided W-lth differential pistons, and lshown arranged 1n `compound relation.

The form of the rinvention shown in Fig.

1 comprises twocylinders driving a single.

crank shaft.

In the particular arrangement as shown,

the cylinder 1 is arranged substantially '-parallel tothe cylinder 2 `andmay be supplied With steam from a common source by means of the steam header 3l-le1ading to the 'separate inflow pipes 4, 5. The steam admitted tothe respective inlet belts 6, 7, is controlled by suitable valves respectively of the cylinders 1,2, which may be operated with suitable variable cut-oit ,meanso'f anyapproved valve control mechanism. a s In rtliecylincler 1 is provided the pair ofpistons 8, 9, eachpreferab-ly of the trunk type Vand having peripheral packing rings 10. The piston Sis pivotally connected at one end to the connecting rod. 11 Whoseopposite end is pivotally connected to the crank pin 1210i the crank arms 18 yof the crank shaft 14. The piston 9 is similarly pivotally connected to one endvof the connecting rod 15, carrying cross-head 1,6, the ends of Which are respectively pivotallyconnected by the reach rodsy 17 18 to the crankpinslll, 2O of the crank arms 21, Q2 of the crank shaft 14. The rod 15 is suitably supported atits free end, as by suitably slidably mounting its free end in a. suitable opening 23 in .the bearing: framez24 as shown.` i

In a similar manner, the piston 25 4ofthe cylinder 2 is' connected by the connecting rod 26 Witli-tlie pair of crank `arms `27,27 ofthe crank shaft 14 and the other piston 28 connected by the connectingrod 29 tothe cross-head 30,. in turn pivotallyl connected by the respective` reach rods 31, 32, with the crank arms 33, 34, ofthe crankshaft 14. The crank shaft 14 is mounted in suitable bearingk journals '35, 36, 37, 38, whichv may bepositioned in thefr'ames 24, as indicated.

The `driving shaft 14 is connected by any suitable, means* with n any suitable driven means and in Fig. 1M l have indicatedr the driven means as a shaft 4()v coupled 'to the driving shaft 14 by means of the intermeshing gears 41,142, respectively iixed fon the driven shaft 40and the driving shaft 14. In the present. embodiment I have shown the axle 40 of aself propelled vehicle, but it is obvious that the `engine of my invention may be employed as asource of mechanical energy for kany mechanism Whichit is desired toprope Y For the purpose of attaining substantially equal and distributed thrusts on the crank shaft 14, the pistons ofthe respective cylinders in a two ycylindersystem maybe ar*- diverging'movement of the two pistons in any given cylinder, the two pistons of the other cylinder' are in the position of initial converging movement, or, in general, during the stage of diverging movement of the two pistons of any cylinder, the pistons of the .otherL cylinder are in the stage of converging i 'ever character as may be desired. The four movement. f

it will further be noted that uponentry of the steam through the inlet belt, as indicated in cylinder 2 of Fig. 1, the piston 25 acts to rotate the crank arms 27 in clockwise', or

anti-clockwise direction, as desired, whereas the other piston 28 exerts its turning movement on the crank shaft 14 through the respective reach rods 31, 32 acting on fthe crank arms 33, 34,-each respectively disposed at 180 angular degrees from the crank arms 27. Upon the pistons attaining the extreme limit of their respective strokes, as vindicated with respect to cylinder 1 by thepositions of the pistons 8, 9, theexhaust ports 45 are uncovered by the respective pistons, to exhaust the steam into the exhaustbelt 46. As shown, each exhaust belt v46 is disposed adjacent the end of the cylinder, and the exhaust belts of each cylinder or of both cylinders, as indicated diagrammaticallyin Fig. 1, may be connected to a. Common exhaust piping 47 leading to a condenser 48. y The embodiment of my invention as shown in Fig. 2, represents a simpliliedform as applied to a pair of shafts in general, and specifically to a plurality of axles cfa selfpropelled vehicle or other conveyance,"V as above stated. l

Referring to Fig. 2, the cylinders 1, 2, are provided with substantially central inlet belts 6, 7, as aforesaid, supplied with steam by the common header 3, operated and controlled similarly as above stated. The pistons 8, 9 of the cylinder 1 are respectively connected by the connecting rods r50, 51, pivoted to the respective crank arms 52, 53 of the respective axles 54, -55. Similarly, theL pistons 25, 28 of cylinder 2 are pivotally connected-by the connecting rods 56, 57 with the crank arms 58, 59 respectively,.of the axles 54, 55. For the purpose of synchronizing the axles 54, 55, 1 have provided. one form of synchronizing means comprising yintermediate gearing such as the gear 60 fixed to the axleA 54 and meshing with thegear 61y fixed on the intermediate sliaft 62, suitably mounted on the bearing brackets 63, 64, carried by the body or other fixedpart of the vehicle and further comprising the gearing fixed on the shaft 62 meshing with the gear 66 fixed on the axle 55. In the pres-l ent embodiment, l have shown, as the form of mechanism to which the mechanical energy originated by the engine, is transmitted the wheels 67, 68, mounted on the respective axles 54, 55 of a self-propelled vehicle. n such two cylinder system, as indicated in may Fig. 2, the respective crank arms 52, 58 of the shaftkeyed in a well known manner to therespective shafts 54, and the crank arms 53, 59 are suitably fixed to the shaft 55 in 180 Adegrees angular relation.

- ln Fig. 3, l have indicated a four cylinder arrangement for power purposes of whatsocylinders 71, 72, 73, 74, are each provided withinlet .belts arranged respectively substantially centrally of each cylinder, and

be supplied with steam or other suitable Y medium maintained at substantially constant 82,82, of the 'cylinder 72 are connected by the connecting rods 83,v 83 to the respective 4crank arms 84, 85 ofthe respective shafts 80, 81." Similarly, Vthe'pair of pistons 86, 86 of the cylinder 73 are connected bythe connecting rods 87, 87 to thccrank arms 88, 89 of the shafts 80, 81; and, lastly, the pair of pist-ons 90, 90 are similarly connected by the connecting rods 91, 91, to the respective crank-arms 92, 93'of the shafts 80, 81. Ey suitably aifixing the several crank arms in spaced relation to one another'the pairs of pistons of thel respectivecylinders 7l, 7 2, 73, 74 maybe connected for such four' cylinder system in 90 degree angular relationship, sequentially or staggered in the order named;

The shafts 80, 81 are `synchronized by means `of the intermediately connected gearing comprising the intermediateshaft 94 yto which are xed the gears 95, 96 respectively `meshing with the gear 97 n fixed on the shaft 8O and the'gear 98 onthe shaft 81.. n

rllie cylinders of *he system are suitably mounted on a commonbase or othersuitable siuoportl as diagrammatically indicated, and

shafts 80, 81.'A Similarly, the'pair of pistons propelled vehicle having the wheels 101, 101..

Fig. 4 indicates another Iembodiment of a multicylinder system of substantially duplicated construction in .cylinderr and operating parts, and normally operating under substantially uniform pressure conditions'.r The arrangement shown kin Fig. 4 corresponds generally to that shown'in Fig. 3, and like parts have been indicated by like reference` numbers. However, in ,the arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the respective crank arms 102, 103, 104 and 105 of the rprimary shaft 106 are arranged in somewhat different angular relationship, the first two named being displaced from one another by, 180:111-

(lll

gularf'degrees, the last two named being similarly displaced from `one another by 1662mgular degrees, but the first tivo named crank arms being displaced by degrees respectively from the lasttivo named crank arms. Similarly, the crank armsr107, 10S, 109 and are angularly arrange'don the other prmary shaft, 111. The primary shafts 106, 111 are synchronised by means of the intermediate shaft 112 and the sets of intermeshing gears 113, 113 and 114, 114,

in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 4, themechanical energy istransmitted to the shaft 112. Mounted on this shaft is'the gear wheel 117 Which may be geared to any desired mechanism in'a Well known manner. The motion is also transmitted to the shaftsl 115, 116' for a similary purpose. The shaft 116 is diagrammatically shown coupled by a universal connection to a displaceable driven shaft 1163. f j

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the

Vfour cylinder system comprises tivo pairs of tivo cylinders, each pair of which may be connected in compoundrelation, as shown. In this embodiment ofthe invention-,leach cylinder comprisesa set of high pressure pistons anda set of low pressure pistons. For the sakepof simplicity, said tworsets ef pistons arerespectively combined as integral units, functioning as differential pistons,i.` e., a high,pressurmpistonbeing connected to aloW pressure piston, and they interior of the cylinder arranged of corresponding diameters to provide for the Working chambers for the respective high and llow pressure pistons. v

Thus, the cylinder 120 comprises the substantially central chamber 121 constituting cii'ectively two Working chambers in which are disposed the pair of high pressure pistons 122, 123. The inlet belt of high pressure steam is indicated at 124 and the high pressure exhaust belts at`125. The Working chambers 126 for the 10W pressure steam are disposed moreclosely adjacentthe ends of the cylinder 120 in which working chambers 126 are respectively disposed the low pressure pistons 127, 123. The inlet belts of the loW pressure chambers '126 are indicated at 129 respectively and the exhaust belts respectively indicated at 130.

As shown, each low pressure piston 127 may be directly connected to the high pressure piston 122, thereby deriving what may he termed a differential piston. One such differential piston 122-127 is connected by the connecting rod 131 to the crank arm 132 of the shaft 133. The other differential pistion 123-128 is connected by the connecting rod 134-. to the crank arm 135 of the shaft 136. The coacting cylinder 137` is constructed and arranged vvith similar high pressure and` low pressure Working chambers 121, 126 and similar sets of differential high pressure and low pressure pistons 12,2- 12( and 123-128 ,eaeh respectivelyconnected by the connecting rod 1,374 to the` crank arm 138 of the shaft 133;andr by `the connecting rod 159 `to thfef cranlri arm 1 4() ofthe shaft V136. `Such tivocylinders 120, 137for1ntl1e two cylinder arrangement havingfthe general*characteristics of the hereinabovedescribed arrangement. shown in Fig. 1, butin addition andsupplemental thereto may be arranged in compound relation,the eil'ective tufo high pressure chambersof each cylinder being respectively vinterconnected With'the tivo lon7 pressure chambers of the other cylinder, andrvice versa. Y

Y The 'cylinders 14:1, 1a2are similarly constructedlaud arranged, the,` compound pis-` tcnslt of the former being connected by i they-connecting rods ,144i to the crank arms 1st-5 and the `compound pistonsk 146k being connectedby the connectingrods-147.@ the crankarms'lflS. j j

Whereas Iliave described myinventiou by reference to specific forms thereof, it :will be understood thaty many changes and modifications the spi` of the inventioinas ydefined by the appended claims. i i i Gleim: u i

in ians disposed intermediate the4 ends ofisaid cylinder fcrsolelythe infloxvgofsteam into said cylinder, a pairk of elongated pistons operatively mounted withinv said cylinder, meansl disposed the adjacent ends of said cylinder for solely the exhaust of steam from said cylinder and arranged to be covered and uncovered'by said pairs of pistons, rotating means operated by one of said pistons, rotating means operated by theother of said pistons and shaft meansfor operatively connecting and synchronizing said first-named rotativelmeans With said second-named rotative means. n

2.k A steam engine comprising a cylinder,V means disposed intermediate the ends of said cylinder for solely the inflow of steam into said cylinder, a pair of elongated pistons operatively mounted Within said cylinder, means disposed adjacent one end of said cylinder for solely the exhaust of steamfrom said cylinder and arranged to be covered'or uncovered by one of said pistons, means disposed adjacent the opposite end of said cylinder for solely the exhaust of steam from said cylinder and arranged to be covered and uncovered by the other of said pistons, a shaft driven by one of said pistons and means associated with said shaft for synchronizing said other piston With said one piston.

3. The combination With a supply of a medium supplied at substantially constant pressure, of a cylinder, a pair of pistons disposed in said cylinder in sealing relation steam enginecomprising na cylinder,

be made without. departingfrontv with the interior of said cylinder7 admission means leading to a substantially central portion of the interior of said cylinder,

exhaust means `disposed respectively adjacent the opposite ends offsaid cylinder, a set of shafts actuatedrespeetively by said aistons and means for s nehronizino said a o *y ports disposed. respectively adj acentjthe op# posite endb'said Cylinder, a set'of shafts Voperated said pairs of pistons: and com.;

rank arms? ,related in'v angularde# grees equal to the quotient ot" 860 degrees divided 'bythe number oi said'cylinders and means for synchronizing said shafts.`

Y 5. A, steam engine comprising` a cylinder, 'apaiifofpistons mounted within said cylin der, steam admission lmeans leading toa central portion ot' theinterior` oi said Aoyl-y inde'r and steam exhaust means for each 'ot said pistonsv respectively and arranged to be'eovered and uncovered by said pistonsre-` speotively, said steam admission 'means Coin-- prisinga space disposed laterallyot the inl terior of said cylinder and serving as a clear-y ance for said eylinden y n (i. The combination with a .supply of a compressed medium, of a cylindena pair of pistons disposed in said Cylinder in sealing relation With the linterior ot' said cylinder,

inder for the admission oi' the compressed medium thereto,v exhaustmeans disposed respectively' adjaeenttlie opposite ends o said rcylinder` andv synchronizing` ineansfor -e fecting the lsimultaneous movement of said pistons in opposite-directions*Within said cylinder.

' -7L n an engine actuated by .rkf'z'ompressedy -ilnedium5 the Combination of a plurality of oy-l1ndersr,-eacn ciylinder f being provided With a pair offpistons, admission spectively adjacent the oppositefends of the cylinder,andsynchronizing means Vfor ell'cetingthe simultaneous movement of each vpalir lofpistonsin the Irespeetive', cylinders in op# posite directions. V l i v l V En testimonywhereof, l: have 'signed this speciiication this 9th `day vof December, v1918.

y,minamu? sWAR'r-WOUTQ ,y

admission means leading to -a substantiallyk central portion of the .interior of saidv Cyl-h lmeans for each ey indei;leacli1ig to subsmiitially v,centrali portion'ot thejlnt'erior of the eyl1iider,e;: vhaust means tor each cylinder- 'disposedre-Y 

